Bridge



March 20, 1928.

- J. B. STRAUSS BRIDGE Filed June 11, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 'NVENTOR10.5121; 5. 'mmas March 20, 1928.

J; B. STRAUSS s Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTY6.

. rated the required distance.

- 4-4. of Fig. '1;

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

BRIDGE.

Application filed June 11,

.This invention relates to bascule bridges and has for its object toprovide a new and improved bridge of this type. The invention has as afurther object to provide an improved construction of the counterweightfor the bridge, an improved means for connecting such counterweight inpositionand an improved construction for supporting the main span of thebridge. The invention has other objects which are more particularlypointed out in the following description.

Referring now to the drawings: y I Fig. 1 is a View showing one form ofdevice embodying the invention with parts of the counterweight removedto show the link connection thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. b

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line Fig. 5 is an end View of themetal embedded in the counterweight.

Fig. 6 s a sectional view taken on line Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a sectionalview taken on line frame 7 7 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 is'a sectional view of the counterweight taken on line 8-8 ofFig. 1.w1th parts omitted.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the counterweight showing the system ofreinforcing metal.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, I'have shown a bascule bridge comprisingamoving leaf 1 having the trusses 2 which are" sepa- Each of thesetrusses is provided with a trunnion 3'. These trunnions are mounted inbearings 4. A

portion of the bridge projectsto the rear of these trunnions therebyform ng the tail end portion 5. The trunnions and the bearings 4 aresupported upon a structural steel framework 6. This structural steelframework consists of two members 7 and 8 on each side of the bridgebetween which the main trusses 2 are received as shown in Fig. 2. Themembers 7 and 8 are tiedtogether by the bracing 9 and the frameworks 6on the opposite sides of the roadway are tied together by the bracings10 and 11, see Figs. 2 and 3, thereby forming a strong, light andefiicient support for the bridge. The trusses 2 are provided with theracks 12 and these 1923. Serial No. 644,526..

racks engage with pinions13 which areconnected with a suitable motor sothat when the motor is operated the pinions will be rotated so as tomove the leaf about its pivotal support so as to open or close thebridge. The framework 6 which forms a support is provided with a frontmember 14, one on each side of the bridge, upon which arecarried thelive load supports 15 which may be castings so that when the bridge isin its closed position the live load is. carried through these live loadsupports to the structural steel framework and thence to the piers: Thebridve is provided with a counterweight 16. In this construction thecounterweight is a concrete counterweight and is pin connected to thebridge. This concrete counterweight has embedded in it ametal frame 17(see Fig. 4). This metal frame is preferablyin the form of a truss andhas a bottom member 18 which extends entirely across.

Diagonal members 19 connect the'bottom member with a top member 20 whichis shorter than the bottom member and does not extend the full width ofthe counterweight. This metal counterweight frame is embedded in theconcrete of the counterweight and means areprovided for transmitting thewei ht of the embedded concrete to the meta frame, theloads from saidmetal frame being brou ht to the intersec through the strap mem ers andthe trusses 2 so as to pivotally connect the counterweight with thetrusses. The concrete of the counterweight is cut away at 23 for thispurpose. i

It will thus be seen that the counterweight is pin connected orpivotally connected with the tail end-of the moving leaf. Thiscounterweight is connected preferably on each side with the su port forthe moving leaf by means of linlis 24. These'links are pivoted to thesupport 6 by means of the pins 25 and with the counterweight by means ofthe pins 26. The counterweight links are preferably attached to themetal frame which is embedded in the counterweight.

they are not directly below the center of the trunnions 3. In thisconstruction the counterweight lin; 24 is parallel to a line extendingbetween the center of the counterweight pin 22 and the trunnion 3 andthe distance between the centers of the link pins 25 and 26 is equal tothe distance between the centers of the counterweight pins 22 and thetrunnions ,3. Also the line between the centers of the counterweight pin22 and the link pin 26 is parallel and equal in length to the lineextending from the center of the trunnions to the center of the link pin25.

vThe link pins, that is the pivots of the link,

and the counterweight pin or pivot and the trunnion of the movingleafform the corners of a parallelogram and it will further be seen that theside of the parallelogram connecting the pivot of the counterweight andthe trunnion of the moving leaf lies "wholly within the tail end of theleaf and the side of the parallelogram which connects the pivot of thecounterweight and the pivot at one end of the link lies wholly withinthe counterweight. The counterweight is cut away at its sides at 30 (seeFig. 8) so that it can pass between the members 8 of the leaf supports.These cut away portions are made to also receive the counterweight links24. This arrangement is such that when the bridge is opened a portion ofthe counterweight passes between the supports for the trunnions of theleaf. The concrete counterweight is providedwith secondary meansconnected with the metal frame for supporting the concrete. As hereinillustrated (Fig. 9) this secondary. means consists of metal rods orpieces 30 which run lengthwise of the counterweight and. pieces 31 whichrun crosswise and pieces 32 which are continuous rods bent over themetal frame embedded in the counterweight and which are connected withthe rods 31 and 30. At the outer walls of the counterweight there is aleinforcing metal niesh'33. Y

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying theinvention but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied inmany particulars without departing from the spirit of theinvention asembodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limitmyself to the particular construction shown.

I claim:

1. A bridge comprising a moving leaf having separated trusses trunnionsupon which said trusses are mounted, a structural steel frame work,bearings for said trunnions carried by said frame work, a counterweightpivotally connected between the trusses of said leaf back of saidtrunnions, a link pivotally connected with said counterweight and saidframe work below said trunnions, the pivots of said link and thecounterweight and the the trunnions of the leaf forming the corners of aparallelogram.

2. A bridge comprising a moving lea-f having separated trusses trunnionsupon which said trusses are mounted a structural steel frame work,bearings for said trunnions carried by said frame work, a counterweightpivotally connected between the trusses of said leaf back of saidtrunnions, a link pivotally connected with said counterweight and saidframe work, below said trunnions, the pivots of said link and thecounterweight and the trunnions of the leaf forming the corners of aparallelogram, the side of the parallelogram connecting the pivot of thecounterweight and the trunnions of the leaf lying wholly within the tailend of the leaf and the line connecting the pivot of the counterweightand the pivot at one end of, the link lying wholly within thecounterweight.

3. A bascule bridge comprising a movable leaf having separated trusses,trunnions upon which said trusses are mounted, a structural steel framework, bearings for the trunnions carried thereby, said leaf providedwith a tail end which projects to the rear of the trunnions, a concretecounterweight pivotally connected between said trusses at the tail endof said leaf, 2. metal frame embedded in said concrete counterweight,pivots connected with said frame and with the tail end of the leaf, a'link having a pivot at one end connected with the metal frame of saidcounterweight said link having a pivot at the other end connected withthe metal frame work supporting the leaf trunnions the pivots of thelink being below the pivots of the counterweight and the leaf.

4-. A bridge comprising a moving leaf having separated main trusses,trunnions connected with said trusses, supports upon which saidtrunnions are carried, a concrete counterweight, a metal frame embeddedin said counterweight having separated top and bottom members, a linkconnecting the counterweight with the leaf support, said link connectedwith said bottom member, said counterweight metallic frame having sidemembers connected with the bottom member and pins connecting said sidemembers with said trusses.

5. A bridge comprising a moving leaf having separated main trusses,trunnions connected with said trusses, supports upon which saidtrunnions are carried, a concrete counterweight, a metal frame embeddedin said counterweight havingseparated top and bottom members, a linkconnecting the counterweight with the leaf support, said link connectedwith said bottom member, said counterweight metallic frame having sidemembers connected with the bottom member and pins connecting said sidemembers with said trusses, so that the stresses are transmitted intosaid bottom member and means for distributing said stresses throughoutsaid counterweight metallic frame.

6. A bridge comprising a moving leaf having separated main trusses,trunnions connected with said trusses, supports upon which saidtrunnions are carried, a concrete counterweight, a metal frame embeddedin said counterweight having separated top and bottom members, diagonalmembers connecting the ends of the bottom member with the top member andwith end members con-- nect-ed with the bottom member, said end membersconnected with said trusses. o

7. A bridge comprising a moving leaf having separated main trusses,trunnions' connected with said trusses, supports upon which saidtrunnions are carried, a concrete counterweight, a metal frame embeddedin said counterweight having separated top and bottom members, diagonalmembers connecting the ends of the bottom member with the top member andwith end members connected with the bottom member, said end membersconnected with said trusses, links connecting the counterweight with thesupport for the leaf, said links connected with said bottom member nearthe points where the diagonals connect therewith.

8. A bridge comprising a moving leaf, a support therefor, a concretecounterweight, a metallic frame embedded in said counterweight andhaving separated top and bottom members, said metallic frame connectedwith said leaf so as to support the counterweight, 1

said bottom member provided with separated projecting pin receivingparts, a pin mounted in said parts, a link connected with said pin saidlink pivotally connected with the support for theleaf.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, this 24th day'of May, 1923.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

